End Of Mermaid Summer Reading Challenge 2014

Hi Mermaids and Mermen!

I hope you all had an awesome summer that was full of sand and waves. Sadly, my summer vacation has been over for about a week, and I've been so busy with school and no time to post anything :(!

This year, I was able to read 40 mermaid books! Awesome!

What was your book score?

Post below!

-Sirenita The Selkie

(40) Mermaid Tales #2: Battle of the Best Friends by Debbie Dadey

Book Type: Novel
Author: Debbie Dadey
Pages: 112

Summary(amazon.com):
Echo, Shelly Siren’s best friend, is doing tail flips because she’s going to see the hottest boy band around—The Rays! It’s her classmate Pearl’s birthday, and the Rays are going to perform at her exclusive party. Troublemaker Pearl has invited just about everyone—everyone, that is, except Shelly! Shelly urges Echo to go anyway, but Echo doesn’t want to leave her friend out of the exciting celebration…so Shelly hatches a plan to make sure Echo sees her favorite group. And when the Rays do come to town (amidst plenty of under-the-sea, boy band drama), Echo returns the favor so that Shelly is included in the festivities.


My Review:
After reading the last Mermaid Tales book, I wasn't too excited to continue the series. Unfortunately, this second book didn't capture my attention either. This series is a bit juvenile for older mermaids to enjoy, and I would say girls from only 5-10 will like it. There were only a few elements that I truly liked. It's pretty cute, and the drama reminds me of being in high school all over again, so Dadey replicated the scenes very well. I also liked that it shows that friendship and teamwork are above bullying.
Overall, I give this book (***) 3 stars for older mers, but younger girls, I would say its 4 stars.
-Sirenita the Selkie

(38) Water Series: Book One Ascension by Kara Dalkey (39) Reunion

Book Type: Novel
Author: Kara Dalkey
Pages: 235

Summary of Book One:
Nia, a young mermyd of the Bluefin clan, has had one wish all her life - to be Avatar in her beloved home of Atlantis. To be one of the ten Avatars that rule the undersea city is an honour and a great responsibility. Now at 16, Nia has a chance to see her dream come true .

Summary:
This book. Wow. Where have you been all my life, Kara Dalkey?
You truly are an artist when it comes to writing! 


Atlantis In A Way You Wouldn't Imagine:
What immediately drew my attention was the setting. Although Dalkey writes that mermyds live in Atlantis, she created such a different world than what were used to when we think "Atlantis". 

Mermyds: A New Type Of Mermaid:
These mermyds live deep in the ocean, far away from greedy, barbaric humans. Nia is a character that I am still amazed with. Although she is kind of like royalty, she is still very down to earth, humble, sweet, loving, defiant and passionate about the good of her people. She is a character that mergirls to young mermaids will find intriguing, and might even relate to her. In addition to mermyds, there are also sea lion-selkie like creatures that live among Atlantis as well! Cool!

So Many Genres And Themes! :
This book also packs in so many different genres, but they all seamlessly blend together to create a perfect book. Some of the genres readers will include are dystopia-like settings, sci-fi, romance and fantasy. I think that covers everyone's interests! In addition to the many genres, this book also has common YA themes such as parent-child relationship issues, adoption, family deceit and drama, choosing family wealth and prestige or romance,  and corruption.

Conclusion:
This book was absolutely a treat to read, and I definitely recommend checking out this series. Since I do have a few more weeks left before summer vacation is over (*sigh* :( ) I will try to squeeze in the last two books before school starts. Honestly mer-readers, I couldnt put this one down, and even though it is a bit over 200 pages, you will speed through it with ease! The end of this first book was so SHOCKING that I can't wait to pick up the next book! I give this book (*****) 5 stars!
-Sirenita The Selkie





Book 2: Reunion:
Post Update: (8-24-14):
Hi Mer-Readers!
This week, I just finished reading book 2 of the water series, Reunion.
W0w... I mean just wow again!

New Characters:
The character  that we are now introduced to is Corwin. What I love about this character is that he is so different from many of the male characters that are featured in YA literature. Usually we see Mr. Heartthrob who causes teenage drama. It's so different in this book. Corwin is a 16 year old pauper who is looking for work, money and food after his guardian recently dies. He's clumsy, skinny and not the best fighter, but he is cunning, smart, extremely clever, helpful and caring, which makes him an attractive character to readers... and Nia! :)

 The New Setting:
After what happened in the last book (which I wont give away), Nia is stuck on land in a strange, foreign place that was an afterthought to the mermyd people. I love the setting of this book! It takes place in England in the year 425, at the time of a king who is more like a dictator and is extremely superstitious. The land is full of strange people and tales, and it reminds me of times of castles and knights, which I found engaging to read.

Unfortunately, I can't give much away, but let's just say this is turning out to be an awesome mermaid series! Stay tuned for the final book! :)


Book 3: Transformation:
post update (10-19-14)

Recently, I finished the final book for the Water Series. Wow. I mean just wow. 

Did you ever get that horrible feeling of a bad break up? Lots of unanswered questions that leave you confused and heartbroken?

This is exactly what will happen if you read the end to this series.

I don't understand. How could such a wonderful series leave you with such a bad feeling?

Well, I'll tell you why. 

Nothing was explained at the end!!!

I cant give much away, since I might ruin the series, but I will have to use internet memes to convey the three emotions I felt at the end:

1)  Jaw Dropping Shock

2)   What?? What? Seriously. WHAT?

3)  Anger, and Denial.

Unfortunately, because of the ending that left me, and other readers on Goodreads confused, I give this series (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Hello Merfolk!
I'm sorry I swam away for a bit.
I've been working on my garden :)
I do have some really good book reviews that I cant wait to share with you!
-Sirenita The Selkie

(37) Secret Kingdom: Mermaid Reef by Rosie Banks

Book Type: Children's Book/ Easy Read
Author: Rosie Banks
Pages: 128

Summary(goodreads.com):
When best friends Ellie, Summer and Jasmine are invited to the Secret Kingdom they are surprised to find that this time they will be diving deep beneath the sea! 
Queen Malice has hidden one of her thunderbolts underwater and the mermaids in Secret Kingdom are in danger of losing their Wishing Pearl forever! 
Can the girls help stop Queen Malice and her naughty Storm Sprites from ruining everyone’s fun again?

My Review:
Girly, charming and whimsical; this book was full of magic and Trixie dust! 
What I liked about this book was that although it's a series, the reader is informed of what happened over the last couple of stories and what the Secret Kingdom is all about! This book immediately caught my attention; there are many cool fantasy elements, such as magic objects used to help them on their quests. I wish I had the unicorn horn to talk to animals! Every couple of pages, there are black-and-white illustrations to depict what is currently going on in the plot. 
The only complaints I have about this book is that it has a juvenile style and it is very girly. I believe grade school girls will enjoy this much more than older mers. I give this book (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(36) Waterlilies Series by Deborah Smith

Book Type: Novel
Author: Deborah Smith
Pages: 320

Summary(amazon.com):
Shy, charming, peculiar, and web-toed, Alice Riley has suffered for years at the hands of her dead mother's self-righteous family, while she hides a bevy of secret abilities. When Alice rescues a drowning child, her amazing talents are exposed. Alice can remain underwater for extraordinary periods of time, and she can locate submerged objects through some type of natural sonar ability. Her new fame/notoriety puts Alice in the national news, amidst allegations that she has somehow faked or manipulated the rescue for her own glory. Alice is trapped and desperate until three amazing older women arrive in her hometown. They are the regal and flamboyant Bonavendier sisters--dignified Lilith, acerbic Mara, and whimsical Pearl--of Sainte's Point Island, their ancestral home off the coast of Georgia. They've read Alice's story in the news and are convinced that she is their long-lost (and much younger) half sister, conceived in a reckless seduction their elderly father confessed to before he died. 

My Review:
When I first picked this book up from the library, there wasn't much of a summary to this book, so I was taking a chance that this would be a good mermaid book. Although there were some plot elements I found interesting or enjoyed, others were a flop and were boring.

Fishy Flukes and Deep Depths: What I Loved:
What I loved most about this book was the family mystery that surrounds the book; I kept reading because I desperately wanted to know the Bonavendier secret! This kept the reader interested and in suspense of what clue to the past they would uncover next. I also thought the mermaids were pretty interesting as well. 
These mermaids have long-lived lives, youthful skin at older ages, lack the fins and scales of most mermaids and communicate telepathically.

Boring At Times, Hard To Read: What I Didnt Like:
When the reader starts this book, the beginning is definitely a little weird. I felt that Smith threw us a bunch of puzzle pieces that didn't really fit together, and it made me say, "What is going on?"
Alice is a character who is not like most mermaids I've read about. She is not brave, or defiant and she is a very tormented being. As a child, she was teased, ridiculed and punished horribly just because she was different. Some of these scenes were a bit difficult to digest. 
A majority of this book was very boring. By halfway through the book, I didn't really come across any eventful scenes which made me want to stop reading all together. 

Conclusion:
Although this book does have mermaids in it, this is really a story about finding out who you are and accepting yourself, fins and scales included. This book is also about family acceptance and love.
I just found this book hard to read; it was very dragged out and boring, and took me a while to finish. If I were to judge this solely on spirituality and finding yourself, I would give it (*****) 5 stars. However, as a mermaid book, I would only give this (**) 2 stars. I am hoping the next book in the series is more exciting.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Book 2: Diary Of A Radical Mermaid

Summary(goodreads.com):Glamour, mystery, romance, humor and webbed toes are all back in full fin as rambunctious mer-socialite Juna Lee Poinfax invades the dignified coastal world of the Bonavendier clan. Determined to chronicle mer life for her on-line journal, Juna Lee instead dives into Lilith Bonavendier's latest scheme to awaken the "inner mermaid" in an unsuspecting distant relative. World-famous author M. M. (Molly) Revere - who writes the mega-successful Water Hyacinth series, about a group of children who are secretly mermaids - is a shy, plain-footed young woman with nothing but vague clues to her extraordinary family link to the mer world. After Juna Lee - working for Lilith - lures the likable Molly to the Georgia coast, both Molly and Juna Lee find themselves in the middle of trouble. Mer-hunk lan McEvers has come to Sainte's Pointe Island to hide his three remarkable nieces from their mysterious and possibly murderous mer-father - a man who may be more myth than reality, but dangerous either way. Molly has to face the reality of her heritage while falling in love with the enigmatic lan and helping him protect his nieces from a danger so amazing even the Water People can barely believe it.

My Review:
I have to say, I really loved this second book compared to the first! I love Juna Lee's character; she is so feisty and glamorous, just like a real mermaid! I also liked that there was more drama in this one and more exciting events.

What I didnt like:
I'm not sure why Smith decided to cut  some of the main characters from the first book. The Bonavendiers, along with Alice and her new husband seem to be nonexistent! 
Although I loved the plot, the ending just shocked me! With so much that was happening, the plot seemed to just take a dive and left me wanting more of a solid conclusion.

So overall, I give this book (***) 3 stars, and I give the series (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(35) Mermaid Tales #1 : Trouble at Trident Academy by Debbie Dadey

Book Type: Novel
Author: Debbie Dadey
Pages: 112

Summary(amazon.com):
In this start to a new series starring Shelly the mermaid, a classroom conflict is no fun—even when school is 20,000 leagues under the sea.

It’s MerGirl Shelly Siren’s first day at a new school, and she is nervous from the tip of her head to the end of her sparkling mermaid tail. How will she ever fit in at the prestigious Trident Academy? Everyone there is so smart and so pretty and so rich. At least she and her best friend, Echo, are in the same class, but so is Pearl, a spoiled know-it-all who only wants to make trouble for Shelly; Rocky, a MerBoy who loves to tease everyone; and Kiki, a shy MerGirl who’s new to Trident City.

My Review:

I had heard in the mer-community that the Mermaid Tales books were very popular, so I wanted to check them out myself! In this first book, I loved the main character, Shelly. For young children, she is very relatable. She has lost her parents, lives with her grandfather, she's shy, nervous about school, but loves animals. I also liked that Dadey incorporated high school-like themes, such as bullying by the snooty popular girl, and starting a new school and how to adjust to new settings. 
The book also has black and white pictures to depict the events every couple of pages. What I really loved about this book is that it has real facts about the sea woven into the story, and even how to protect the world's oceans from future harm. The only complaint I do have is that the book was a bit girly and came across a little juvenile, especially if you are an older mer like myself. I would say the age range is about 8-13 years old. I'm really excited to see how the other books will turn out! I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie.